For the first time, the public will be able to explore beneath the sails of the world’s most famous house to find out how this pioneering green building is making itself more environmentally friendly, thanks to a new sustainability tour supported by Airbnb.

The new pilot program launched today will give people access to previously unseen areas of the Sydney Opera House, including its innovative seawater cooling system and waste recycling centre, and the award-winning, energy-efficient lighting system in the world-renowned Concert Hall.

In addition to uncovering how Utzon’s masterpiece – globally recognised for its innovative sustainable design – continues to reduce its environmental impact, the one-hour Airbnb Sustainability Tour will inspire visitors to Sydney to follow suit with advice on how they can implement environmentally friendly practices on a smaller scale in their own homes.

NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Renewable Energy, Adam Marshall, said: “As one of a select few World Heritage buildings to achieve green certification, the Sydney Opera House sets the standard in sustainability. This new tour is a great way to invite more people inside Australia’s most famous building to be inspired and to learn about how they too can live more sustainably in their daily lives. I would like to congratulate both the Opera House team and Airbnb on bringing this fantastic idea to life.”

Sydney Opera House Director of Building, Greg McTaggart, said: “In the past 12 months we have made significant progress in sustainability, earning a coveted 4 Star Green Star – Performance rating from the Green Building Council of Australia and unveiling our latest Environmental Sustainability Plan, which includes ambitious targets that extend the savings, efficiencies and environmental legacy of the Opera House.

“This new initiative with Airbnb provides an exciting opportunity to share our successes and lessons first hand, while empowering visitors to the Opera House to create change in their own homes. As the symbol of modern Australia, it’s great to be able to set an example that inspires others.”

Today’s launch is part of an ongoing partnership between the Opera House and Airbnb, which includes support for key ‘Greening the House’ initiatives.

Airbnb Australia Country Manager, Sam McDonagh, said: “Airbnb enables people to share their homes, promoting a more efficient use of existing resources and is an environmentally sustainable way to travel. Home sharing results in significant reduction in energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste generation, and also encourages environmental awareness among residents and visitors.

“We’re proud to launch this sustainability tour in partnership with the Sydney Opera House to further inspire locals and visitors to be more environmentally aware by learning about the sustainable practices of the world’s most famous house.”

The Airbnb Sustainability Tour will run at 8amon Tuesday mornings from 25 October to 29 Novemberfor a group of up to 15 guests and costs $50 per person. Included in the price is a specially designed Frank Green SmartCup and handy sustainable living guide.